Junk basket with positive fluid circulation



July 2, 1957 R. A. BOBO JUNK BASKET WITH POSITIVE FLUID CIRCULATIONFiled Oct. 5, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. BY lZ-Afioba R. A. BOBOJUNK BASKET WITH POSITIVE FLUID CIRCULATION Filed Oct. 5, 1953 July 2,1957 BY RABabo JUNK BASKET WITH POSITIVE FLUID CIRCULATION ApplicationOctober 5, 1953, Serial No. 384,092

'15 Claims. (Cl. 166-99) This invention relates to a device for cleaningdrill holes. In one aspect it relates to a device for removing objectstoo heavy to circulate out of the hole during rotary drillingoperations. In another aspect it relates to an apparatus for removingmetal and other heavy fragments from drill holes.

This invention particularly relates to the removal of material drilledup inside of cased holes, such as packers, cement retainers, and thelike. It is therefore, particularly adaptable to workover operations.

Many small heavy objects can be suspended in drilling mud and carriedout of the hole by normal circulation of the mud. These objects are thenremoved from the mud by gravity settling. Some objects, particularlymetal objects, are frequently too heavy to be carried out of the hole bythe mud, and to remove these well cleaning devices such as thathereindisclosed can be used. Heavy metal objects, such as ball bearings,drill bit teeth and the like can be recovered from the hole by use of mydevice.

My well cleaning apparatus includes an apparatus element to be installedin the string of drill tubing, just above the rotary drill bit. Itincludes a basket for catch ing the heavy objects and a venturi operatedby downflowing drilling mud to obtain positive circulation of mudthrough the basket to direct the movement of heavy objects from theannulus surrounding the drill end of the drill tubing assembly into thebasket.

An object of my invention is to provide an eflicient junk basketapparatus for use with rotary drill bits.

Another object of my invention is to provide a junk basket for use withrotary drill bits which basket apparatus is simple and relativelyinexpensive to manufacture,

Another object of my invention is to provide a junk basket apparatus foruse with rotary drill bits which basket is positive in its operation forrecovery of solid objects at the bottom of the well during drilling.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will be obviousto those skilled in the art upon reading the following specification anddrawing, which respectively describes and illustrates preferredembodimentsof my invention.

My invention provides a junk catcher apparatus, annular in shape anddisposed between the rotary drill bit and the bottom section of drilltubing. The apparatus has a heavy interior cylindrical wall around whichis disposed the junk catcher. To make certain that heavy objects enterthe catcher or basket I provide for drilling fluid circulation throughthe basket. Drilling fluid is pumped downward through a tubular openingin the apparatus and by a venturi elfect withdraws drilling fluid fromthe basket into the downfiowing fluid. The fluid flows through the drillbit against the bottom of the drill hole and upward in the annulusbetween drill apparatus and the earth. A portion of this upward risingdrilling fluid is drawn into the basket by this venturi effect and heavysolid matter is filtered therefrom and retained in the basket.

My invention further provides a well tool comprising a body having asolid material collecting chamber therein, an inlet conduit connectingsaid chamber to the exterior of said tool to receive said solidmaterial, said body having a passageway adapted to convey fluidtherethrough, a reduced diameter portion disposed in the fluidpassageway, an outlet conduit connecting said chamber to the reduceddiameter portion of said passageway whereby an aspirating effect iscreated due to the flow of said fluid through said passageway which aidsin the movement of solid material through said conduit into saidchamber.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of oneembodiment of my invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal view, partly in section, of a portion of theapparatus of Figure 1, on an enlarged scale.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of another embodiment of myinvention.

Figure 4 illustrates the positioning of the apparatus of my invention ina drill hole.

Figure 5 is a section, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 5-5 ofFigure 2.

Referring now to the drawing and specifically to Figure 1 referencenumeral 11 identifies an elongated cylindrical heavy body member of myapparatus. This apparatus is relatively long in comparison to itsdiameter since the latter must be sufliciently small that it can beeasily lowered down a drill hole. It must also possess considerablestrength so that it can support the weight of the drill string. On thetop end of body member 11 is disposed a connection 12 provided withexternal threads for attachment to a drilling collar or other connectionapparatus. The lower end is provided with a connecting element withinterior threads for attachment to a rotary drill bit. i

The upper connection element 12 is provided with a shoulder 23. Theportion ofthe body 11 below shoulder element 23 is of smaller diameterthan that of the shoulder section. Attached, asby welding, to the lowersloping side of. the shoulder element 23 is an annular ring or baflle15. Immediately below this annular ring or baflie 15 is a screen 16.This screen may be made of heavy gage woven wire or punched plate.If-this screen element is a punched plate it is preferable that theratio of the area of the holes to that. of the entire plate be large togive relatively free passage of liquid. This screen 16 extends downwardand terminates at a shoulder 24. The screen should be rigidly attached,as by welding, to the shoulder 24 and to the annular ring 15. Belowshoulder 24 the body member 11 has about the same diameter as thediameter of the shoulder section 23. A cylindrical wall 14 is providedas shown. The junk basket or junk receiving space 21 is bounded by outerwall 14, shoulder 24 and the screen 16. The annular baflle ring 15extends downward some short distance below the top of the wall 14 todivert material entering the basket 21 and cause it to flow in adownward direction and well into the basket. As soon as material entersthe basket and reaches the bottom end of the ring 15 the fluid passesthrough the screen 16 and enters an annular space 22 between the ring 15and body member 11. One or more conduits 19 are provided for passage offluid from the upper section of the annular space 22 into an interiorconduit 17. This interior conduit 17 is provided with a venturi throat18. The conduit or conduits 19 enter the venturi 18 at a point justbelow the point of minimum diameter. Each conduit 19 is provided withacheck valve 2t) which permits flow of liquid from the annulus 22 intothe venturi but does not permit flow of liquid in the reverse direction.

In the operation of this embodiment of my apparatus when a well is beingdrilled either through casing or in open hole drilling mud is pumpeddownward through conduit 17 and as the mud passes the venturiconstriction 18 liquid is drawn through conduit 19. Liquid entering 3.conduit 19" from annulus 22' comes from the well bore by wayof the upperportion ofthe basket'ZI through the screen 16 and upward through theannulus 22. In this manner drilling fluid is. drawn positively into thejunk basket and'solid objects suspende'dtherein are separated by screen16 anddropped downward inthebasket'.

Materials which are frequently encountered in the drilling of wells andwhich will be caught in such a junk catcher are drill bit bearings,broken drill teeth and other such material. This junk'basket isparticularly wellsuited for use when a drillable piece of equipment suchas a drillable packer or plug is being removed. It is well known that insuch casespieces of metal are broken into smaller pieces by the drilland thesmallerpieces can then be circulatedupward a sufiicient distancewith the mud and caught in the basket;

Figure-2 represents a'portion of the apparatus of Figure lonan enlargedscale. The check valves 20 are illustrated diagrammatically in Figure. land it is a check valve section of Figure l which is shown on anenlarged scalein Figure 2. Reference numeral 18 in Figure 2 identifiesthe venturi throat into which conduits 19 open. Each conduit 19 isprovided with a large diameter section 34 for accommodation of. thevalve check element 31. This valve check 31 is intended toseat against.seat 35 of seat element 32. Seat element 32 may be threaded intoconduit 34 at the end adjacent annulus 22. The seat element 32 isprovided with an opening 33 for passage of fluid when the valve check 31is unseated. In Figures 2 and it is seen that the thickness of webs 36of the valve check 31 is considerably less than the diameter of thesmall diameter section of conduit 19. Openings 37 are therefore present,as illustrated in Figure 5 and as seen in Figure 2, and provide passagesthrough which fluid flows from the large diameter section 34 into thesmall diameter section of conduit 19 to which reference numeral 19 isattached by its tie line. The diameter of the valve check 31 is smallerthan the diameter of the wall of the large section 34 so that. fluid canflow through the annulus therebetween. From this arrangement ofapparatus parts it is obvious that fluid can flow in a direction fromopening 33 toward the venturi throat and not in the reverse direction.

Figure 3 of the drawing represents another embodiment of my invention inwhich openings 62 serve as venturi throats for drawing fluid fromoutside of this apparatus through the junk catcher and into the space inthe region of the drill bit 54. The general construction of the junkcatcher is the same as that illustrated in Figure 1. In Figure 3 theouter wall of the basket 56 has about the same diameter as the diameterof the largest portion of the entire, apparatus, excluding the drillbit. An annular ring 5.7 serves as a means for holding the upper end ofthe screen 50. rigid. A ring 49 is disposed at the lower end of thescreen 50 and is fastened rigidly thereto. This ring 49 is also attachedrigidly to a shoulder 48 which serves as the bottom of the junk catcher.This ring 49 also prevents solid material from entering annulus 47 at apoint in the immediate vicinity of the upper ends of passageways 59.These passageways 59 extend on downward to about the lower end of thebody member 51. At the lower end of the body member 51 an annular recess60 is provided as shown into which conduits or passageways 59 open. Thedrill bit 54 is threaded into position as illustrated with theconnecting portion 55 having ext'erior threads meshing with interiorthreads of the body member 51. An O-ring 63 is provided in the bottomend of'body member 51 as shown. This O-ring provides a seal against theleakage of fluid into recess 60. A separate conduit 61 is provided, asshown, connecting each passageway 62 with the recess 60. The number ofpassageways' 62 are ordinarily that number providedin conven tionaldrill bits, for example, there may be two, three or four, and areusually equally spaced, angularly. There may also be provided any numberof passageways 59, as

desired. Such a number of passageways 59 and their diameters are soselected as to give suflicient flow of fluid to divert an appreciableamount of drilling fluid therethrough. Drilling fluid pumped downwardthrough conduit 53 within body member 51 flows through passageways 62 ata high velocity and therefore suction is provided through conduits 61,annular recess 60 and passageways 59 to draw fluid from the basket 58.Each passageway 59 can if desired be provided with a separate enlargedsection similar to enlarged section 34 of Figure 2 to accommodate acheck valve 64 similar to check valve 20, which is also illustrated inFigure 2. These check valves permit flow of fluid downward only. Thus,if the condition should arise that pressure within the passageways 62 isgreater than that in the region of the basket liquid cannot flow upwardthrough passageways 59 and remove accumulated solid material from thebasket 58. The upper end of the apparatus of Figure 3 is provided with athreaded connection 52 for fastening to a drill tubing or drill collar.

The annular recess 60, as shown in Figure 3, is bounded on two sides andon the top by the body member 51 and on the lower side by the drill bit54, and is connected by separate conduits 61 to corresponding passageway62. The O-ring 63 forms a seal between body 51 and bit 54. It will beseen that a liquid-tight annular recess 60 will not be formed until thedrill bit is threaded into the drilling position on the bottom end ofbody member 51.

Figure 4-illustrates the positioning of a junk basket apparatus of myinvention in a well. The well may be cased or not, however Figure 4illustrates the casein which the well contains a casing 71. Referencenumeral 72 identifies the junk basket apparatus mounted on the bottomend of a rotary drill tubing and collar assembly 73. On the bottom ofthe basket assembly 72 is illustrated a drill bit 79. Reference numeral74 identifies surface of the ground while subterranean formations areidentified by reference numeral 75. The actual junk catcher oraccumulation chamber is identified by reference numeral 78 and theannulus surrounding the basket assembly 72 is identified by referencenumeral 76. The apparatus is operative when drilling fluid is pumpeddownwardly through the tubing 73 and through the venturi throat andliquid is drawn from the annulus 76 through conduits, not shown inFigure 4, into the venturi throat since the fluid pressure in thegeneral area of the annulus 76 is greater than the pressure of the highvelocity fluid being pumped through the venturi throat.

Thus, it is seen that by the venturi action of my junk catcher, actionis positive in that liquid as actually flowed through the junk catcherand any solid material larger than the openings of the screens will beseparated from the fluid passing through the screens.

The size of the screen openings or perforate plate openings of the junkbasket filter element may be determined by the size of solid materialdesired to be retained in the basket. Too small openings will increaseresistance to mud flow through the basket, especially at times when aconsiderable amount of solid material is packed in the basket.

Materials of construction of my junk separation apparatus can beselected from among those commercially available and ordinarily used insuch equipment.

While certain embodiments of the. invention have been described forillustrative purposes, the invention obviously is not limited thereto.

I claim:

1. An improved junk basket assembly comprising, in combination, anelongated body, means to attach the upper end thereof to a well tubing,a rotary drill bit being attached to the lower end of said body, anannular open top basket assembly surrounding said body below said means,said basket assembly having a non-perforate outer wall and a perforateinner wall, said perforate inner wall being spaced from the outer wallof said body providing an annulus therebetween, a first conduitthroughout the length of said body and said rotary drill bit, saidconduit in said drill bit having the form of a venturi, a second conduitthrough the Wall of said body and said drill bit and extending from saidannulus to the throat of said venturi at its downstream end.

2. An improved junk basket assembly comprising, in combination, anelongated body member, means to attach the upper end thereof to a welltubing, means to attach the lower end thereof to a rotary drill means,an annular open top basket surrounding said body member at a levelintermediate said upper end and said lower end, said basket comprising anon-perforate outer wall and a perforate inner wall, said perforateinner wall being spaced from the outer wall of said elongated bodymember providing an annulus therebetween, a first conduit throughout thelength of said body member, said conduit having the form of a venturi,and a second conduit through the wall of said body member providingcommunication from said annulus to the throat of said venturi at itsdownstream end.

3. An improved junk basket assembly comprising, in combination, anelongated cylindrical body member, means to attach the upper end thereofto a rotary drill tubing, a drill bit assembly attached at the lower endof said body member, an annular open top basket surrounding said bodymember below said means, said basket comprising a cylindricalnon-perforate outer Wall and a perforate cylindrical inner wall, saidouter wall and said inner wall being spaced from each other and beingconcentric with respect to said elongated body member, said perforateinner wall being spaced from the outer surface of said body memberthereby providing an annulus therebetween, a first conduit throughoutthe length of said elongated body member and said drill bit assembly,said conduit in said drill bit assembly having the form of a venturi,and a second conduit in the wall of said elongated body member and insaid drill bit assembly providing communication from said annulus to thethroat of said venturi.

4. An improved junk basket assembly comprising, in combination, anelongated cylindrical body member, first means to attach the upper endthereof to a rotary drill stem, second means to attach the lower endthereof to a rotary drill means, an annular open top basket surroundingsaid body member below said first means, said basket comprising acylindrical non-perforate outer wall and a cylindrical perforate innerwall, said outer wall and said inner wall being spaced from each otherand being concentric with respect to said elongated body member, saidperforate inner wall being spaced from the outer surface of said bodymember thereby providing an annulus therebetween, a first conduitthrough the length of said elongated body member, said first conduithaving the form of a venturi, and a second conduit through the Wall ofsaid elongated body member providing communication from said annulus tothe throat of said venturi.

5. In the assembly of claim 3, a check valve in said second conduit sodisposed as to permit fluid flow only in the direction towards saidventuri.

6. In the assembly of claim 4, the check valve in said second conduit sodisposed as to permit fluid fiow in the direction towards said venturi.

7. An improved junk basket assembly comprising, in combination, anelongated cylindrical body, means to attach the upper end thereof to arotary drill tubing, a rotary drill bit being attached to the lower endof said cylindrical body, an annular open top basket assemblysurrounding said cylindrical body below said means, a first conduitthroughout the length of said cylindrical body and said rotary drillbit, said first conduit in said drill bit having the form of a venturi,a second conduit in the wall of said cylindrical body and said drill bitproviding communication from said basket to the throat of said venturi.

8. An improved junk basket assembly comprising, in

combination, an elongated cylindrical body, means to attach the upperend thereof to a rotary drill tubing, a rotary drill bit being attachedto the lower end of said cylindrical body, an annular open top basketassembly surrounding said cylindrical body below said means, saidannular basket assembly having a non-perforate outer wall and aperforate inner wall, said perforate inner wall being spaced from theouter surface of said body below said means thereby providing an annulustherebetween, a first conduit throughout the length of said cylindricalbody and said rotary drill bit, said conduit in said drill bit havingthe form of a venturi, a second conduit through the wall of saidcylindrical body and said drill bit providing communication from saidannulus to the throat of said venturi.

9. An improved junk basket assembly comprising, in combination, anelongated body, means to attach the upper end thereof to a well tubing,an annular open top basket assembly surrounding said body below saidmeans, a first conduit throughout the length of said body, said conduitin said body having the form of a venturi, a second conduit through thewall of said body providing communication from said basket to the throatof said venturi, the inner wall of said basket comprising a filterscreen.

10. An improved junk basket assembly comprising, in combination, anelongated body, shouldered means to attach the upper end thereof to arotary drill tube, means to attach the lower end to a rotary drill bit,an annular open top basket assembly surrounding said body below saidshouldered means, said annular basket assembly having a non-perforateouter wall and a perforate inner wall, said perforate inner wall beingspaced from the outer surface of said body below said means providing anannulus therebetween, a first conduit throughout the length of saidbody, said conduit in said body having the form of a venturi, a secondconduit through the wall of said body providing communication from saidannulus to the throat of said venturi.

11. A well tool having a solid material collecting chamber surrounding abody, said collecting chamber having a perforate inner wall spaced fromthe outer wall of said body providing an annulus therebetween, an inletconduit communicating said chamber with the exterior of said tool toreceive said solid material, said body having an unobstructed passagewayadapted to convey fluid therethrough, one portion of said passagewaybeing of smaller diameter than the remainder thereof, an outlet conduitfor passage of fluid from said annulus to said passageway at the smallerdiameter portion thereof whereby an aspirating effect is created in saidoutlet conduit and chamber when fluid flows through said passageway,which aspirating effect aids in the movement of solid material throughsaid inlet conduit into said chamber.

12. In the well tool of claim 11, a check valve in said outlet conduitdisposed to prevent flow of fluid from said passageway into saidchamber.

13. A well tool comprising a body having a solid material collectingchamber therein, an inlet conduit communicating said chamber with theexterior of said tool to receive said solid material from said exterior,said body having an unobstructed passageway adapted to convey fluidtherethrough, a venturi throat disposed in said passageway, an outletconduit for passage of fluid from said chamber to said venturi throatwhereby an aspirating effect is created in said outlet conduit and saidchamber when fluid flows through said passageway, which aspiratingeffect aids in the movement of solid material through said inlet conduitinto said chamber.

14. In the well tool of claim 13, a check valve in said outlet conduitdisposed to prevent flow of fluid from said passageway into saidchamber.

(References on following page) 2,072,627 Zublin Mar. 2, 1937 2,485,098Johnson Oct. 18, 1949 2,609,182 Arutunofi Sept. 2, 1952 2,645,290'Fortenberry July 14, 1953 5 2,670,800 Stohn Mar. 2, 1954 7 15. In thewell tool of claim 13, a filter screen disposed intermediate saidchamber and said outlet conduit.

Rfei'ences Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,895,610 Del 'Homme Ian. 31, 1933

